RHA SA950i Headphones Australian Review: Elegant Excellence

The headphone market is a cluttered one. You can head down to your local electronics retailer and be bombarded with choice. In-ear, over ear, buds, earpods, on-ear — the list is endless, and depending on what you end up deciding, the cost can be extremely prohibitive. What if you just want a good pair of all-rounder headphones that won’t break the bank? Then you want a pair of RHA SA950i headphones.

What Is It?

A pair of on-ear headphones from British manufacturer RHA. They weigh barely anything at 105 grams and they pack 40mm drivers. They have a removable, single-sided, 1.5m nylon cable that comes complete with an in-line mic and volume control buttons so you can use them with a smartphone. All this will set you back a modest $69.95 from the local distributor or your local Apple Store. It comes with a 3-year warranty too which is nice.

What’s Good?

Wearing the RHA SA950i headphones is like sitting in a fancy car. It’s comfortable, looks great and there’s leather as far as the eye can see. These headphones are so finely crafted that you can admire all the little stitching under the soft, leather headband and enjoy the nylon cabling that connects the two ear cups to the band.

When you put them on and fire up your favourite tracks, you’ll notice that the RHAs pump out serious sound. The highs and mids sound crystal clear through these headphones and the low bassy notes will have you doofing all day.

The best part about all of this is that you get it for a pittance. $70 for great, all-round headphones is the perfect price compared to headphones from bigger brands like Sony and Pioneer.

They’re light enough that you can bring them everywhere and the fact that they’re smartphone-friendly adds a cherry on top of a delicious-sounding cake.

What’s Bad?

The cups are really the only part of the headphones where plastic is employed. Depending on how you transport your headphones when you’re not using them — for example, in a bag — they do have a tendency to get scratched. It’s such a shame to blemish something so pretty.

The only other downside is how you wear them on your head. This might just be me, but the cups don’t sit flat to your ear when you wear them on the correct sides, meaning that there’s always a slight gap at the front of your ears for sound to get out. This isn’t a problem when you reverse the headphones to wear them on the opposite side as they then fit over your ears perfectly. It’s probably so that you can hear stuff going on around you while you’re wearing them, but when you’re in the middle of your favourite track, the worst thing is getting put off by what’s going on around you. It’s not the worst thing in the world, it’s just a bit awkward.

Should You Buy It?

Yes. For the money you pay versus the sound quality you get, this is a no-brainer.

They certainly aren’t the be-all and end-all in headphones for audiophiles, but for someone who wants a great pair of all-rounder headphones that look and sound more expensive than they actually are, then tese are the ones for you.